Incredibly slow start

[2nd-timer]

I did Atkins with success 8 years ago. I've done the reading, know the diet and got great results. I know when I am and am not cheating. I tried to restart several times after that with no success. But this last time I was absolutely serious. This time I gave my diet 6 weeks without giving up and finally got the results going. It turns out that I had high blood sugars and didn't realize it. After 4 weeks of frustration I took out my old glucometer (I had gestational diabetes once while pregnant) and found out by sugars just weren't going low. Of course the were not high because I was eating so low carb. But they just weren't low and that was odd. So I kept at the diet anyway even without any results and watched my sugard drop a point or two per day. When I made it into the 80's the pounds started to fly off. So it took 6 weeks to lose 6 pounds but all of them were lost in the last 1.5 weeks. I am really glad I didn't give up. After all those weeks the frustration was really intense. And I'm so short that 6 lbs is a whole clothing size for me. So I'm psyched.

Also, I was being frustrated by always having only trace or no ketosis on my ketostrips. Then, duh, I realized that I'm always so overloaded with water and teas that my urine is too diluted. When I drink normally, I get better keto results. So I'm glad I realized that the results weren't necessarily accurate if I didn't take into account how much liquid I drink and let go of. So I'm past those two frustration points and I do feel better about stickign to the diet now. I notice I no longer feel deprived or like i'm a slave to a chore.

I also noticed that if I work the ellyptical machine into my diet, my next day's glucose numbers are really great and a pound will come off soon after. Previously I had only been doing yoga (which is great but didn't lower my blood sugars). So now I feel like there's a point to all of it and I'm not wasting my time.

I guess you dont' have to be diabetic to get a glucometer. Every drug store has them and they are less costly these days than in previous days. But the lancets and test strips you have to buy to work with them are very expensive. It costs me $1 per test so it may or not be an option for some. If you can swing it, I recommend blood sugar testing so you can really know the effects of what you eat and do.

[guekjian]

Congratulations for sticking to it when the going was so discouraging! You totally have the right attitude and that is going to lead RIGHT to success! Keep it up!

[RIMedusa]

Very inspiring!

I'm off to my third or fourth sloooooooowwwww start in the same number of months, and I just want to give up.

Surely it can't be the fabulous forties doing this to me....

aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

[GaynorA]

Hey .. I can see your AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH! And can raise you by "wailing and beating of ample bosom"!!!!!! 2nd time round person here too ... going murderously slowly! some days I want to throw the scales out the window. Like you I am plodding steadily forward. I figure, sooner or later my body is going to realise I'm doing Atkins and catch up with my brain. Well done on sticking it out hon. Luv to ya.